Endgame (episode)
You may also be looking for the ''New Frontier novel "End Game".'' Years after Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant, Janeway resolves to alter the past in order to help her crew get home faster. (Series Finale) Summary San Francisco. As beautiful a city in the early 25th century as it is today. The Golden Gate Bridge shines, as multicolored fireworks light up the skies like a Christmas tree. Then, an ''Intrepid''-class starship flies down from the sky and swoops around the bridge. The crowd below is cheering in admiration. It is the year 2404, and it is the tenth anniversary of the USS Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant after 23 years in the Delta Quadrant. In a small abode not far from the festivities, an aged woman picks up a cup of tea and listens to the news. It speaks, for the moment, only of ''Voyager''. Of the crew's determination at getting home, of the world's love for them. She concludes the broadcast and gazes out the window. Admiral Kathryn Janeway is thinking. The next night, the ten year reunion is taking place, and many are present. Holonovelist Tom Paris is there, balding, yet still funny, along with his wife, B'Elanna Torres, the Federation Liaison to the Klingon Empire. Admiral Kathryn Janeway is also present, as well as Captain Harry Kim. Harry is greeted by a young girl, whose forehead horns reveal her to be part Ktarian. Harry correctly assumes that she is Sabrina Wildman, daughter to Naomi. As she leaves to find her mother, Janeway approaches Kim with a glass of wine. He remarks that he has not seen Sabrina since she was a baby, and Janeway retorts that she thinks its amazing how fast everyone has grown, hinting at Harry in particular, his gray hair a large contrast to his former youth. He apologizes for missing the funeral, but Janeway acknowledges that everyone understood that he was on a mission and could not have been there. He questions Tuvok's health, which Janeway says is not well. Harry says that he might go see him later, and Janeway acknowledges that Tuvok would like that. Across the room, the Doctor comes in with a striking young beauty and greets Paris, introducing him to his new bride Lana, who he had married two weeks previous. Paris is shocked when the Doctor reveals that the name he had decided to adopt after 33 years of thought is Joe, to which the Doctor retorts that Joe was Lana's grandfather's name. Paris had mistakenly thought that Lana was also a hologram. The Doctor jokingly scolds him about it, stating that he thought they were beyond such distinctions. Elsewhere, Janeway is now speaking with Torres about a mission she sent Miral Paris, Paris and Torres' daughter, on. Torres wants to know what the mission entailed and why Miral couldn't have come to the reunion and started the mission later, but Janeway declines her the information, stating that it is classified material. It is at this point that Commander Reginald Barclay indulges in the old spoon and glass routine, getting everyone's attention. He remarks that the crew returned home after the longest away mission in Starfleet history, which gets a chuckle from everyone. On a serious note, Barclay thanks the crew for adopting him into their family, and raises his glass in a toast to the journey. Janeway adds in that they are also toasting those who could not be there with them. In Starfleet Academy, new cadets listen closely as Commander Barclay begins to lecture them on his expectations of his class about the Borg. Admiral Janeway, the woman who, literally, "wrote the book on the Borg", is going to be the guest speaker for the semester. At least, she would be, until an Ensign enters, whispers something to her, and she makes a hasty exit. In her office, Janeway speaks to Miral Paris. The ensign states that she has seen an unnamed object of importance to Janeway, but the ensign also tells her that the Klingon, named Korath, wishes to deliver it to Janeway in person. Janeway reluctantly agrees, and signs off. In her home, Janeway delightfully answers the door to the Doctor, who has made a house call but is also curious as to why Janeway wishes a house call, as she had fought him over every medical checkup of the past three decades. She assures him that she is going on a trip and just wanted to get their annual appointment out of the way before she left. She then strikes up casual conversation, asking the Doctor about his young wife, to which the Doctor replies that perhaps the Admiral should try it someday. She then asks him about a drug the Doctor has been working on at Starfleet Medical called chronexaline. The Doctor informs her that they believe the drug can protect biomatter from tachyon radiation. The Admiral abruptly stiffens and tells the Doctor that she needs 2000 milligrams by the next day. Startled, the Doctor rises and asks her what she needs it for, to which she replies that it is classified. The Doctor agrees to give it to her by 0900. With the help of Reginald Barclay, Janeway, hatches a plan to travel back in time to the period in which Voyager encounters a Borg transwarp hub veiled in a nebula. Using Ensign Paris as an intermediary, Janeway commissions a chrono deflector from Korath in exchange for getting him a seat on the Klingon High Council, using B'Elanna Paris' influence as Federation-Klingon Ambassador. The sole problem with the device is that it emits a large amount of tachyokinetic energy, which is dangerous to biomatter. Later, when Korath tries to change the terms of the deal at the last moment, she 'steals' the device. This angers Korath and he sends Klingon warships after Janeway. With the help of Harry Kim, now Captain of the [[USS Rhode Island|USS Rhode Island]], she fends off the Klingon warships and generates a temporal rift to Voyager. Year 2378: Back to the Nebula Her targeting is spot on and the rift takes her directly into the path of Voyager. However, the Klingon ships are still chasing her and she orders Captain Janeway to fire an anti-tachyon pulse to close the rift before the Klingons can come through. Captain Janeway objects to receiving any orders and Admiral Janeway pulls rank on her younger self. Captain Janeway concedes, in the press of battle, and closes the rift. She then asks what was going on. The admiral replies that she has come to bring Voyager home, unaware that her transmission was being overheard by the Borg. Once on board Voyager, Admiral Janeway details the plan for Captain Janeway, equipped with superior technology, to engage the Borg and use a transwarp conduit to travel directly to the Alpha Quadrant. This transwarp conduit is buried deep inside a nebula that Voyager just passed. In fact, Voyager had tried to explore the nebula but turned back when they detected the tritanium signatures of over forty Borg cubes and had a near collision with one of them. With that in mind, Captain Janeway objects until Admiral Janeway reveals that it will otherwise take Voyager another sixteen years and twenty-two casualties to make it home, and that she brought superior arms, armor, and tactics from the future. After the Doctor validates Admiral Janeway's genetic identity and Seven of Nine gives a favorable report on the technology, Captain Janeway reluctantly agrees to try the plan and gives orders to begin fitting the new technology to Voyager. *''Captain's personal log, stardate 54973.4. We've begun outfitting Voyager with Admiral Janeway's upgrades. As soon as the major modifications are complete, we'll reverse course and head back to the nebula. Though I've had some strange experiences in my career, nothing quite compares to the sight of my future self briefing my officers on technology that hasn't been invented yet. '' After the refit, Voyager reverses course for the nebula. This alarms the Borg Queen, who has been monitoring Voyager since the first attempt it made. The Queen contacts Seven of Nine through her regeneration alcove and warns Voyager to alter course or they will be assimilated. Captain Janeway, on more confident revelations from Admiral Janeway, decides to continue with the plan. Year 2378: In the middle of things Just before re-entering the nebula, Captain Janeway activates the new ablative hull armor. As soon as Voyager enters the nebula, it is met by three Borg cubes which begin attacking immediately. Their weapons have little effect, and the two Janeways smile at each other on Voyager's bridge. When the port-side ablative armor is reduced to 40%, Admiral Janeway nods to Captain Janeway. Captain Janeway then orders attack pattern Alpha One on the lead cube with transphasic torpedoes. Tuvok fires two torpedoes into the lead cube and it explodes. Then Captain Janeway orders the second cube targeted and Tuvok fires one torpedo into the second cube and it is destroyed. The Borg Queen then orders the remaining cube to withdraw while Voyager proceeds to the center of the nebula. As Voyager approaches the center of the nebula, they are greeted by the sight of a huge singularity. Orbiting the singularity is a gigantic Borg complex. Captain Janeway is stunned by this. Admiral Janeway, apparently expecting this, orders Paris to enter the aperture at coordinates 346 mark 42. Captain Janeway quickly countermands that order and asks Admiral Janeway what it is. Admiral Janeway answers "The road home". At this point, Seven speaks up and identifies it as a transwarp hub. Captain Janeway then states that Seven once told her that there were only six of them in the entire galaxy. Captain Janeway immediately realizes that Admiral Janeway knew about this and failed to inform her of it. Captain Janeway orders Paris to withdraw Voyager from the nebula, much to the crew's amazement and obvious disappointment. Year 2378: What to do? Once back out of the nebula, Seven briefs the others on the transwarp hub. Captain Janeway immediately realizes that they could deal the Borg a crippling blow and wants to find a way to destroy it. After a few scenarios are worked out, with more information from Admiral Janeway, it is determined that the hub can only be destroyed from their side because the Borg Queen herself controls all the interspatial manifold shielding directly and the Alpha Quadrant only contains exit apertures. The two Janeways are faced with a dilemma; they could either destroy the transwarp network or get home. Under the circumstances, they can't do both. Captain Janeway wants to destroy the transwarp hub and continue on the long path home. Admiral Janeway is severely against this and she reveals that Tuvok's neurological condition, which he kept secret from Captain Janeway, will be untreatable without urgent Starfleet medical procedures, and he will face irreversible deterioration without help soon. Chakotay and Seven would get married but Seven would die three years later leaving Chakotay unable to deal with the trauma. She, along with eighteen other crew members, would die in the continuing voyage home. In the end, Captain Janeway puts it up to a vote of the senior officers who all vote to destroy the hub and take their risks with the long road home. Year 2378: Have the cake and eat it too Taking that as a defeat, Admiral Janeway capitulates and offers to help increase the odds of success. During one late shift, the Janeways are in Voyager's mess hall, still trying to escape the dilemma. Captain Janeway asks if Admiral Janeway is absolutely sure that there is no way that they can go home and still destroy the transwarp hub. Admiral Janeway says that there might be but it entails very high risk. That the key to the dilemma is the Borg Queen. As long as she controls the shields within the transwarp conduits they won't be able to cause the cascade reaction they need to destroy the hub from inside the conduits. In the end Admiral Janeway, injected with a neurolytic pathogen developed by the Doctor, takes shuttlecraft SC-4 to the transwarp hub to infect the Borg Queen. This disconnects her from the interspatial manifold's shields and thus allows them to get the destructive cascade effect, destroying the transwarp hub from inside the system. Through a careful subterfuge, Admiral Janeway tricks the Borg Queen into beaming her directly into Unimatrix 01, the queen's lair, and trying to assimilate her. The Queen does this and is then immediately infected with the pathogen. As Admiral Janeway is being assimilated by nanoprobes, the Borg Queen is being wracked by the infection and her cybernetic systems start disconnecting from her. Bit by bit, she loses communication, first with the conduits and then with the rest of the collective. Towards the end she retains contact with a Borg sphere, which she orders to pursue and assimilate Voyager. As her physical body falls apart and she lies dying on the floor of the Unimatrix, she can only watch as the entire transwarp hub complex explodes. The Borg sphere ordered to assimilate Voyager continues the chase relentlessly. As it fires at Voyager, it begins to adapt to the ablative armor and begins to erode it. With shields and armor failing and the gaping maw of a Borg sphere docking port open behind them, Captain Janeway takes the only possible option and, relying heavily on the ablative armor, allows the sphere to swallow Voyager. Year 2378: Home In the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet is on red alert after detecting the spatial disturbances of the conduit’s exit point. Barclay correctly identifies it as a transwarp exit aperture and it is less than one light year from Earth. The only species known to use such technology is the Borg, so a fleet is hurriedly called to those coordinates in fearful anticipation of a replay of the Battle of Sector 001. A Borg sphere exits, and is immediately engaged, resulting only in the usual minimal damage. Suddenly, inexplicable explosions begin to occur inside the sphere, and Admiral Paris orders a cease-fire. While they watch, the Borg vessel appears to destruct from the inside in a series of shuddering explosions, until the entire sphere blows outward, and Voyager flies triumphantly out of the expanding wreckage, to everyone's stunned astonishment. Finally, after seven years in the Delta Quadrant, the long lost Voyager is escorted home. Memorable Quotes "Joe? It took you ''33 years to come up with Joe?!" : - '''Tom Paris', to the Doctor, regarding the name he chose for himself "I think it's safe to say no one on this crew has been more... obsessed with getting home than I have. But when I think about everything we've been through together, maybe it's not the destination that matters. Maybe it's the journey, and if that journey takes a little longer, so we can do something we all believe in. I can't think of any place I'd rather be, or any people I'd rather be with." : - Harry Kim, to the Voyager senior staff "You're an impostor!" "No, Tuvok. It's me." "Admiral Janeway visits on Sunday. Today is Thursday. Logic dictates that you are not who you claim to be." : - Tuvok and Admiral Janeway "If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?" : - Admiral Janeway, to Captain Janeway "'' Oh, if you tell me to relax one more time, I'm going to rip your holographic head off!" : - '''B'Elanna', to the Doctor "Don't get too comfy. Klingon labor can sometimes last several days. ''(B'Elanna screams) Of course, I'm sure that won't be the case here." : - '''The Doctor', to B'Elanna during her labor "To quote Ambassador Spock; the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." : - Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok, to Captain Janeway "Must be something you assimilated." : - Admiral Janeway, to the Borg Queen "We did it." : - Kathryn Janeway, after seeing a fleet of Starfleet vessels on the main viewer "Set a course, for home." : - Kathryn Janeway :This was the last line of series. It was also the last line spoken by Captain Janeway in the show's pilot episode, VOY: "Caretaker". Background Information * The director of this episode, Allan Kroeker, also directed the series finales of DS9 and ENT. * Although dealt a crippling blow, it is unclear if the Borg have been defeated once and for all, as the pathogen may not have had enough time to spread (Michael Okuda claims in the ''Star Trek: First Contact'' Special Edition DVD that they weren't). Chronologically, though, this episode marks the final appearance of the Borg, although they went on to make a controversial appearance on . * Robert Picardo (the Doctor), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Dwight Schultz (Lt. Reginald Barclay) and Alice Krige (the Borg Queen) all previously appeared in . Phillips was the only one to play a different character, having previously portrayed an unnamed waiter. Picardo plays an Emergency Medical Hologram, although it is understood that the ''Enterprise''-E's EMH is separate from ''Voyager'''s EMH. * Tarik Ergin (Ayala) is the only actor, besides the regulars, to appear in both this episode and the pilot . * Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Lt. Commander Chakotay), Tim Russ (Lt. Commander Tuvok) and Robert Duncan McNeill (Lt. Tom Paris) are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. * The Starfleet uniforms seen in the altered future timeline were also seen in a similar future timeline in the final TNG episode and in the DS9 episode . * The phasers used in the future timeline would appear later as the standard sidearm (though, painted slightly different) aboard the ''Enterprise''-E in . * The VHS release of this episode states that it was the first of two parts; however, this is a misprint, as it was presented as a feature-length episode on television as well as on home video and in the subsequent DVD release. * This episode introduced a seemingly out-of-place romantic relationship between Chakotay and Seven of Nine, and ended with little closure. This may have something to do with the fact that both the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise and the film were in preproduction at the time. Also, writer Ken Biller admitted to waiting until "the last minute" before starting the final episode. * This episode marks the second destruction of a Borg Queen. The first occurred in . * Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), Robert Picardo (the Doctor) and Alice Krige (the Borg Queen) will reprise their respective roles in the attraction "Borg Invasion 4D" set in 2379. * Although difficult to hear, the name of the doctor being paged as Admiral Janeway leaves Tuvok's hospital room sounds like Doctor Pulaski. This would suggest that the good doctor has made quite a career for herself after leaving the Enterprise-D. * Several interesting photos appear in the future scenes of this episode. In Admiral Janeway's apartment there's an image of Harry and Tom in black and white as their Captain Proton counterparts, and in Captain Kim's ready room is the same picture B'Elanna looks at of her and Tom on their honeymoon (the image was seen in ). Also, the photograph Janeway leaves Tuvok is actually a publicity image for Season 6. * When the Queen interrupts Seven's regeneration, the computer voice says "Warning, regeneration cycle incomplete." In previous episodes, it said simply "Regeneration cycle incomplete.". ( ) This may be because the cycle was interrupted due to a power surge as opposed to a simple "waking up" early. However, in at least one other occasion the computer did include "Warning." ( ) * Robert Beltran, a noted critic of the writing and characterizations on the show, can be seen quickly rolling his eyes (as if to say "Yeah, I guess") when he takes the helm of Voyager in the final scene. Beltran said of the final episode: "This is what we're going out with?" http://www.firsttvdrama.com/funstuff/beltran.php3 * "Endgame" was included in the 2006 DVD box set ''Star Trek'': Fan Collective - Borg, and also in ''Star Trek'': Fan Collective - Time Travel. Awards *This episode won two Emmy Awards. Only four other episodes of Trek have won this many. It won for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore) (Jay Chattaway) and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series, both times beating , which was also nominated in those categories. "Endgame" was also nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series. Links and References Special Guest Star *Dwight Schultz as Barclay Guest Stars *Richard Herd as Owen Paris *Vaughn Armstrong as Korath *Manu Intiraymi as Icheb *Lisa Locicero as Miral Paris *Miguel Perez as Physician *Grant Garrison as Cadet Special Guest Appearance By *Alice Krige as Borg Queen Co-Stars *Amy Lindsay as Lana *Matthew James Williamson as Klingon *Joey Sakata as Engineering N.D. *Richard Sarstedt as Star Fleet Admiral *Iris Bahr as Female Cadet *Ashley Sierra Hughes as Sabrina * Majel Barrett as the computer voice Uncredited Co-Stars * David Anderson as Ashmore * Tarik Ergin as Ayala * Lisa Varasco as Bolian attendee * Unknown actress as Golwat References 2329; 2377; 2394; 2400; 2404; ablative armor; Alcatraz; alternate timeline; Alpha Quadrant; anti-tachyon pulse; assimilation; biobed; biomatter; biradial clamp; Borg; Borg Collective; Borg drone; Borg Queen; Borg transwarp network; Brax; Captain Proton; Caretaker's Array; Cardassian; cerebral cortex; Chell; Chicken Warp Core-don Bleu; chronexaline; chrono deflector; cortical node; Delta Flyer II; Dexa; diaper; Director; disruptor; fal-tor-voh; false labor; Fen Domar; golf; graviton flux; Grid 986; Grid 362; House of Korath; interspatial manifold; Joe; kal-toh; Kellidians; Klingons; Klingon Empire; Klingon High Council; liaison; mess hall; Milky Way Galaxy; nadion pulse; nanotechnology; neural interface; neurolytic pathogen; neuropeptide; neutrino; Oakland; Okaro; Pathfinder Project; phaser, type 2; Plasma Leak Soup; pool; Presidio; pun; Red Alert Chili; San Francisco; sickbay; Species 8472; Starfleet Academy; Starfleet Command; Starfleet Intelligence; Starfleet Medical; synaptic transceiver; Spock; stealth technology; synaptic transceiver; tachyon radiation; tachyokinetic radiation; Temporal Mechanics Department; Temporal Prime Directive; temporal rift; transphasic torpedo; transwarp; transwarp aperture; transwarp hub; transwarp network; tricorder; tritanium; unicomplex; Unimatrix 01; Wildman, Naomi; wormhole Starship references ''Akira''-class; ''Bonchune'', USS; Borg cube; Borg sphere; ''Challenger'', USS; ''Defiant''-class; ''Excelsior''-class; ''Galaxy''-class; ''Miranda''-class; ''Nebula''-class; ''Negh'var''-class; ''Nova''-class; ''Prometheus'', USS; ''Prometheus''-class; ''Rhode Island'', USS; ''Saber''-class; SC-4; Sphere 634; ''Steamrunner''-class; }} Category: VOY episodes de:Endspiel, Teil I fr:Endgame nl:Endgame